So, has anyone broken one of these chinese carbon frames and been able to successfully had anything done about it? Or are you just SOL? If that is the case, I would rather buy an On-One so at least you have a 2 year warranty and could actually communicate with someone fairly easily.

So, has anyone broken one of these chinese carbon frames and been able to successfully had anything done about it? Or are you just SOL? If that is the case, I would rather buy an On-One so at least you have a 2 year warranty and could actually communicate with someone fairly easily.

Kind of agree with Broseph, paying the few extra dollars for a "local frame" where you can go into talk to someone might be worth a few extra bucks.... but not thousands, lol. I to am on the fence about these frames. Part of my problem is the little to no information when they (Chinese suppliers) are responding to my emails. How many times do I need to ask for a delivery eta and detail specs on a frame? Who is everyone dealling with?

I have a 19" on order from Hung Fu with custom piant shipping date is around dec 12 will post a pic when its here.

Milkster - have you gotten your frame yet?

I was looking at the On-One carbon frame - 499GBP ($788) and should be out next spring. There are some people selling 29er frames for $670 on AliExpress, but I'd rather pay $100 more, get the slick On-One dropouts and have a name brand to back it up. But for $450, I could be convinced...

Language barrier?

Originally Posted by dmaindonnie

Kind of agree with Broseph, paying the few extra dollars for a "local frame" where you can go into talk to someone might be worth a few extra bucks.... but not thousands, lol. I to am on the fence about these frames. Part of my problem is the little to no information when they (Chinese suppliers) are responding to my emails. How many times do I need to ask for a delivery eta and detail specs on a frame? Who is everyone dealling with?

Maybe they don't know what an ETA is.

I was in France a week before I figured out what États-Unis was... and wondered why USA never appeared on any internet forms. Crud... I don't speak French (yet)!

Originally Posted by alexkraemer

Milkster - have you gotten your frame yet?

I was looking at the On-One carbon frame - 499GBP ($788) and should be out next spring. There are some people selling 29er frames for $670 on AliExpress, but I'd rather pay $100 more, get the slick On-One dropouts and have a name brand to back it up. But for $450, I could be convinced...

Yeah, I'm thinking that for under $500, I'll roll the dice on that one. I'm sure they are plenty durable. They're probably not terribly refined in the ride quality department, or the lightest thing out there.

Kind of agree with Broseph, paying the few extra dollars for a "local frame" where you can go into talk to someone might be worth a few extra bucks.... but not thousands, lol. I to am on the fence about these frames. Part of my problem is the little to no information when they (Chinese suppliers) are responding to my emails. How many times do I need to ask for a delivery eta and detail specs on a frame? Who is everyone dealling with?

If I were you I would email Jenny at Hong-Fu. Everytime I emailed her I get a fast response and all my questions are answered. They don't show a 29er on their website but they do offer it and it is one of the better quality ones too.

I emailed the "Jenny" person and asked about any type of warranty. Haven't heard anything back yet.

A "warranty" is what you get when you pay full retail @ $2000+/- for a frame that has the words "Specialized" or whatever painted on it.

For $500 +/- you get a knock off (no graphics) or even a counterfeit (painted like the real thing) from China. You don't get a warranty. And even if you did, how would you ever enforce it in Mainland China?

Look at it this way. You pay $500 for a Chinese carbon frame. I have 3 of them. Trust me, it won't arrive in the box broken. You ride it. I've ridden one of mine (road frame) for 3 years, my wife has ridden a road frame for a year, and I have beat the hell out of a hardtail mtn. frame all of this season, with not the slightest problem.

But say you have a problem after a number of great rides, 1/2 a season, 1 full season, 2 seasons, whatever. You crack the top tube or a chainstay. You remove the parts, throw the frame out (recycle it), buy a new one, and rebuild. You're still $1000 ahead of the Specialized. Odds are that you won't get 2 lemons in a row. But even if you do, you still have 2 more chances with China with the odds in your favor till you are at break even with Specialized. And by then you are 4 or 5 years down the road, and if you bought that Specialized in the first place, you'd be in the market for a new frame anyway.

So I'm saying that yes, there is a gamble aspect to this, and you get what you pay for, and if it's too good to be true, then it's false.

But, do any of us really know that the $2000 Specialized is better built, of higher quality material, and less prone to fail? Maybe the cheap Chinese knock-off is the same exact frame. After all, most of them are built in China anyway. Or maybe it's a piece of junk. I don't believe regular consumers like us have the data available to determine whether one is really measurably different than or superior to the other. Maybe somebody with the right background will study it. Maybe the next issue of Mt. Bike Action will have an article on it. Until then, it's go cheap or go big, take your pick.

If you aren't willing to risk your money and your body, then a Chinese knock off is not for you. If you want a warranty, then you'd better deal with your LBS and buy full retail.

Old enough to know better. And old enough not to care. Best age to be.

Ive never understood the they are all made in China idea. I build frames, and so does Steve Potts, were both in the USA so our frames are pretty much the same. There are a bunch of factories in China and they all produce good frames and bad frames. paying for a good frame means a lot to me. I could buy 4 cheap carbon frames but I only have 1 set of teeth. If your not particularly fond of your body and dont mind destroying it then by all means get the cheap frame four times. Im not saying a nice frame is not going to break, just that there is a little more substance behind it if it does.

Ive never understood the they are all made in China idea. I build frames, and so does Steve Potts, were both in the USA so our frames are pretty much the same. There are a bunch of factories in China and they all produce good frames and bad frames. paying for a good frame means a lot to me. I could buy 4 cheap carbon frames but I only have 1 set of teeth. If your not particularly fond of your body and dont mind destroying it then by all means get the cheap frame four times. Im not saying a nice frame is not going to break, just that there is a little more substance behind it if it does.

Considering the high failure rate of Fisher frames, if you value your teeth, I wouldn't ride a Trek either...

not mine...

Well, I hate to break it to you, but not everyone pays full retail in order to get a full warranty or buys a new Specialized S-Works frame at full retail for one either. I know I won't be paying full retail on a bike or frame. So that narrows that incentive a little bit. If it is a matter of putting down an extra $300 or $400 for a full warranty, then the Chinese deal just seems less worth the risk. $788 for the On-One is just looking better and better. Granted, I haven't compared that to what I could get on something through my shop yet either.

For $500, I think it would be reasonable to get manufacturers defects covered for a couple of years even if you had to eat the cost to ship the thing to China.

Ive never understood the they are all made in China idea. I build frames, and so does Steve Potts, were both in the USA so our frames are pretty much the same. There are a bunch of factories in China and they all produce good frames and bad frames. paying for a good frame means a lot to me. I could buy 4 cheap carbon frames but I only have 1 set of teeth. If your not particularly fond of your body and dont mind destroying it then by all means get the cheap frame four times. Im not saying a nice frame is not going to break, just that there is a little more substance behind it if it does.

It's good to know that we can buy a quality carbon frame from a small business in the USA. As far as the "they're all made in China" meme, it's because literally hundreds of Chinese manufacturers sell many more hundreds of different frames on-line at - let's call them "affordable" instead of "cheap" - prices.

Some are copies or knock offs. Some are actual counterfeits. Some are unique.

We don't really know what we're getting for $500 or less from thousand of miles away in a huge country that will soon take over the world and is not known for having warm and cuddly business ethics - so it's somewhat of a gamble.

My first one was a road frame I rode for 2 years before: a) I bought one for off road; and b) I bought one (road) for my wife. So far, I've been 100% safe and satisfied, and I am now inclined to believe that people who do blow big wads of cash for "name" brands are wasting money on pure marketing hype.

With your expertise, you can do us all a service by addressing these questions:

How does a consumer determine what separates a really "cheap" (as opposed to "inexpensive") carbon frame from a quality one? The type of tubing? The weave? The epoxy? Which tubes are used for which part? Etc.

Where does price fit in? Does it cost a lot more to build a quality frame over a cheap frame?

How much does a consumer pay for the name "Specialized" or "Scott" or "Trek" or "Santa Cruz" or whatever painted on a frame as opposed to the actual frame?

How much do you sell frames for and do you warrant them?

Thx.

Old enough to know better. And old enough not to care. Best age to be.